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30.05.2016| Folie 4 Environmental Information as an Element of Democracy Timely and innovative EI is the basis for raising environmental awareness, for active involvement of citizens in environmental measures and thus an element of democracy. The basic idea that access to EI improves environmental standards is based on the following considerations (Röger, Rz 4 zu § 1; van Schwanenflügel, DÖV 1993/2, 95): The right of access to relevant data increases transparency and enhances public participation in decisions taken by the public authorities. Access to EI is thus a step towards participation and democratisation of environmental law. (participation effect). (Büchele/Ennöckl, UIG Kommentar, nwv, Graz 2005

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30.05.2016| Folie 5 Coordination Centre for Environmental Information – EIA section 10 Umweltbundesamt is the leader of a coordination centre whose task consists in supporting the information exchange between information providing bodies and in proposing suitable measures to facilitate access to environmental information, as well as in ensuring the high quality of environmental information. http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/umweltinformation/koordinierungsstelle

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30.05.2016| Folie 9 Work programme of the Coordination Centre III Supporting the exchange of information between information providing bodies („iS“) By using the existing eGovernment structures Existing eGovernment structures are used to ensure cooperation between the federal government, provinces, cities and municipalities, as well as industry/economy Setting up a working group for environmental information (UW-UI) within the framework of “Cooperation BLSG” (Bund-Länder-Städte- Gemeinden) under the umbrella of “Platform Digital Austria”

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30.05.2016| Folie 10 The Coordination Centre (KUI) provides information KUI informs the public about its activities on the Internet at http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/koordinierungsstelle/. http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/koordinierungsstelle/ KUI also provides information on the Environmental Information Act (EIA 2004, UIG 2004) at HELP.gv.at http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/166/Seite.166000 0.html http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/166/Seite.166000 0.html The platform of the working group Environmental Information (UW-UI) on the Reference Server at http://reference.e-government.gv.at/UW- UI_Umweltinformation.1024.0.html http://reference.e-government.gv.at/UW- UI_Umweltinformation.1024.0.html

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30.05.2016| Folie 11 Structured access to information via thematic classification Directive 2003/4/EC uses thematic and functional categories to describe environmental information. This theme classification should: provide quick and easy access for the lay user to the relevant theme, Be easy to adopt to the requirements of users (obtaining information) and information providers (structuring the information provided), and Be guided by the term “environmental information” as defined in Directive 2003/4/EG and by the criteria for providing EI set out therein.

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30.05.2016| Folie 16 WG-UI: 1st Meeting April 2007 fears & expectations II joint solution for the federal provinces based on the organisation model of www.geoland.atwww.geoland.at no central database, but central access no separate structures for information from the delegated federal administration provincial administration Make this portal solution usable for a wider circle  One-Stop-Shop eGovernment compatibility must be granted barrier free access (WAI – Standards) Further development of recommendations for the thematic and functional classification of EI

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30.05.2016| Folie 17 Conference of Ministers for the Environment of the Federal Provinces on 23.3.2007 Political requirements of LURK on WG UI: 1. Assessment of the current state of basic structures and databases? 2. Which basic structures and costs are additionally necessary? 3. Which IT- options can be used to reduce costs? 4. Is it necessary to collect or combine further data in order to comply with the obligation to provide information?

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30.05.2016| Folie 18 WG UI: Further procedure / activities Working group UI Develop a recommendation for active dissemination of EI Analyse IT options, clarify the need of recourses, formulate the recommendation … a joint influence on laws and ordinances from the viewpoint of active dissemination of EI produce activity reports for the conference of environment ministers from the federal provinces (LURK) and federal ministers (& governors) submit materials to the Commission to comply with the reporting obligations involve federal ministries, province authorities, cities and municipalities step-by-step implementation – create practical solutions

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30.05.2016| Folie 19 Central Access to Env Information General Conditions I The aim of the software development is to create central access to environmental information. To achieve this, the following general conditions must be considered: The available environmental information tends to be widely spread across different public authorities and agencies. Technically, information and data is managed very heterogeneously in different systems. The presentation of the information varies widely - e.g. on static web pages, via user interfaces of database systems etc. It is not possible to conduct one standard Internet search that includes all information sources.

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30.05.2016| Folie 20 Central Access to Env Information General Conditions II Often it is difficult for the citizen to find out which authority/agency keeps what environmental information, especially if such information cannot be accessed via the Internet. (no meta info available) The average citizen does not always know which authority/agency is responsible for the environmental information in which he/she is interested. (metadata) Although users of web portals for different authorities/agencies are sometimes provided with complex information (e.g. geographic data) it is often not possible to combine this information to create a significant whole. A lot of data which exists in the databases of authorities/agencies is not made available on the Internet for financial or technical reasons.

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30.05.2016| Folie 21 Central Access to Env Information Application Requirements I The application has to be designed as portal software. It should have an appealing interface and has to meet the following requirements: There is one search which includes all data sources (including databases) from all data providers (authorities/agencies). The results are presented together. Information available on the Internet is integrated via a search engine. For data providers a module is provided through which information kept in databases can be made available for the web portal. Different open interfaces are provided through which further data sources can be linked with the portal. These interfaces correspond to the current standards.

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30.05.2016| Folie 22 Central Access to Env Information Application Requirements II A meta data component (UDK, environmental data catalogue) is integrated which enables the user to find out where / by whom / what environmental information is kept. These meta data can be managed by the data providers via the Internet. A space and time reference search and a semantic search are added to the full text search. With the search mechanisms provided users can find, represent and analyse geographic data. With the map viewer the different maps can be combined. Accesses are provided to the topics named in the Directive as well as to pages with measured values and to service pages. This information extends over all relevent authorities/agencies.

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30.05.2016| Folie 23 Central Access to Env Information Decentralised Software Application I The software must be suitable for decentralised application. It can thus be used at different levels of the administrative structure: At the top of the structure in Austria there is the Austrian environment portal. At the level of the federal provinces (or Länder) environment portals can be set up that bring together information from the different authorities/agencies of the federal provinces (Länder) in a centralised provincial (“Länder”) portal. The information sources of such provincial environment (“Länder”) portals can also be used by the Austrian environment portal.

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30.05.2016| Folie 24 Central Access to Env Information Decentralised Software Application II For larger municipalities/communities it is possible to develop local (municipal/communal) portals with the software. This makes sense if there are different information sources (e.g. databases) which need to be combined in a centralised portal at the level of a municipality/community. These information sources can also be used by the provincial (“Länder”) portals or by the Austrian environment portal. Regardless of the level, all information sources can be released for any other existing portal and thus be used as information sources. In this way, the principle of data management without redundancy is applied even at the level of indexation. A System where the public authorities are the providers but also the main end-users and beneficiaries

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30.05.2016| Folie 29 Why is SEIS needed? Source: M. Paneli, EC, DG Env The current fragmented reporting system  Because EU Policy makers at all levels (local to European) are convinced that better decisions need better and more timely information  Because EU Member States deserves a modern, efficient and user friendly e-Reporting System to fulfil their reporting obligations related to European Union environmental policies and legislation, avoiding duplication of efforts, overlapping and redundancies Once a Shared Environmental Information System exists all players can efficiently share information via shared areas

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30.05.2016| Folie 46 NESIS – Partnerschaft  The NESIS consortium is composed of 16 partners representative of 14 EU and Associated Countries.  The project co-ordinator, GISIG - Geographical Information Systems International Group - is a European Association, promoter of networking projects and Thematic Networks in geo-information.  Most of the partners (12 upon 16) are EIONET National Focal Points (NFPs). Their participation guarantees a real involvement and commitment of the main actors which will be involved in the development and application of SEIS, with a strong connection to the diverse groups of target users and stakeholders in the different European countries.  NESIS is an open network intended to group the EIONET Community and the diverse stakeholders in Environmental Data Management at a European level.

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30.05.2016| Folie 47 Conclusion Timely and innovative environmental information is the basis for raising environmental awareness, active involvement of citizen in environmental processes and thus an element of political democracy Umweltbundesamt acting as coordination centre for environmental information which also has to comply as an information point (“iS”) with reporting obligations will provide its contribution.